weight

Instead of waiting for sunny skies and T-shirt weather to try to hurriedly jump out of the winter exercise-and-eating slump, get ahead of the game. Says Vanessa Packer, cofounder of ModelFIT: "Start now so you have the time to adjust to the changes you'll be making in your diet and exercise." Get thee to cardio class...or go running or hit some spin. "Some form of cardio is a great way to shed unwanted weight—and excess water weight as well," Packer says. "If you can start off with a short run or buy a jump rope and do it for 30 minutes a day." Build up a little bit of a time from there so that you don't burn out and you stay committed. Cut down on comfort foods. We're still dealing with snow aplenty, but that doesn't mean we have to stick to the winter comfort foods we've been knowing and loving for the past few months. Making pasta with cold-weather-friendly spaghetti squash instead of noodles cuts nearly 200 calories; cauliflower-crust pizza is delish, still comfort-foody, and can save you up to 100 calories in the crust department alone. Time to tone. "You need to include some form of functional read more

We know that the act of sitting on one's couch too often could contribute to a shorter lifespan...but is it possible that chemicals lurking on said couch may be doing some harm of their own? New research from the University of New Hampshire discovered that laboratory rats exposed to synthetic chemicals—polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)—often used as flame retardants for things such as furniture foam, fabrics, appliances, and other common household products—experienced disruptions in their metabolisms and enlarged livers. Metabolic and liver problems can lead to insulin resistance—a big cause of weight gain and obesity. According to study author Gale Carey: "...At the biochemical level there is a growing body of experimental evidence suggesting certain environmental chemicals, or 'obesogens,' could disrupt the body's metabolism and contribute to the obesity epidemic." The fat cells of rats that had been exposed to high levels of flame retardant every day for a month showed a sensitivity to hormones, similar to the kind of sensitivity those who are overweight might experience: The cells became sluggish when it came to insulin response. More research is under way, but it's clearly important to be aware of the kinds of chemicals in our environment. Says Carey: "The average read more

You've heard that practicing mindfulness while eating—focusing on how each bite of your meal feels and tastes, without any outside distractions—may help you to recognize when you're full, potentially resulting in weight loss. But now, a new study suggests that the same technique might actually help boost your workout results. Research published in the Journal of Health Psychology looked into the concept of mindfulness—essentially, controlled attentiveness, or focusing on what is happening in the moment—to see if people who used it during exercise might have more satisfaction overall...thus inspiring them to keep exercising. After asking about 400 physically active participants about their workout habits and how absorbed and satisfied they were, researchers from Utrecht University discovered that those who were mindful—say, concentrating on the feeling of each muscle as it contracted, being aware of hunger pangs, taking note of pacing spikes and declines—while exercising tended to show more satisfaction with their workouts. According to lead researcher Kalliopi-Eleni Tsafou: "The message is that mindfulness may amplify satisfaction, because one is satisfied when positive experiences with physical activity become prominent.... For those experiences to be noticed, one must become aware of them. We would argue that this can be achieved by being read more

It used to be that, if you wanted to get an idea of what your body fat percentage might be, you'd get that information from a doctor or fitness trainer—who would likely use clampy calipers to pinch parts of your body to figure it out. But this gadget (and corresponding app) lets you take your body fat measurements at home—without pinches!—any time you want...and it takes the whole process a bit further. It also measures the quality of your muscles, so that you can track your progress, bit by bit. The Skulpt Aim ($199.99) is a palm-size device that tracks thousands of data points in 24 different muscle groups, sending the information directly to an app on your phone. It's super easy to use: You key in your height, weight, age, and sex, then give the sensors a spritz of water and lay it on the muscle group you want to measure (you can also opt to measure your body's overall fat content and muscle quality by using the gadget on four muscle groups: abs, biceps, quads, and triceps). The app then reports the results: It's a truly cool gadget, because it can help you see that your workouts really read more

Fiber may not necessarily have the reputation of being the sexiest of conversation topics, but this new research suggests that incorporating it into your diet may help make you healthier and lose weight—and those things could count as kinda sexy, right? Many dietitians have long maintained that eating fiber helps with satiety—helping your stomach feel full and satisfied, so that you don't overeat throughout the day. And a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine seems to substantiate that—as well as prove that fiber may also improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School investigated 240 people who had signs of prediabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to either following the American Heart Association diet (in which they focused on decreasing their day-to-day intake of calories, limiting saturated fat, and reducing consumption of sugar and salt) or simply incorporating at least 30 grams of fiber into their daily eating schedules. A year later, both sets of participants had lost similar amounts of weight—about 6 pounds for the AHA dieters, and 4.6 pounds for the high-fiber eaters—as well as demonstrating about the same decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and inflammation. read more

Hey, wine lovers...I have a sneaking suspicion you might find this new study worth a toast. Previous research suggested that a certain antioxidant found in red wine (as well as grape juice and Muscadine grapes) appeared to prevent obesity in mice. This study took that idea a step further—researchers took the same red grape extract and applied it to human fat and liver cells. The extract—called ellagic acid—seemed to help liver cells burn fat more quickly...while also dramatically slowing down the growth of fat cells and the development of new ones. This is especially interesting news for people whose diets are generally high in fat or for those who are overweight; busting dangerous liver fat could potentially help boost the organ's function. But the study's authors warn that the takeaway of the study should not be that tipping back a bottle of vino will whittle your waist. According to co-author Neil Shay: "We didn't find, and we didn't expect to, that these compounds would improve body weight." He also said: "We know alcohol is a double-edged sword.... We’re not advocating that people tank up." After all, going way overboard with alcohol and sugar could hurt your body more than it read more

Last year, Beyonce and Jay Z made headlines for embarking on a 22-day vegan diet challenge. Apparently, they liked it—well, it's safe to assume that Beyonce seemed to like it, anyway, because she has just launched a home-delivery vegan meal service with exercise physiologist and trainer Marco Borges. The service—22 Days Nutrition—offers home delivery of freshly prepared, non-frozen plant-based meals (they're also organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, and sans soy and dairy), to anywhere in the continental United States—arriving by 5 P.M. each Friday with a week's worth of food. There are three plans from which you can choose, depending on how many meals you want (for example: ordering a 22-day subscription for one meal a day works out to $326.70, not including shipping). Why 22...and not 15 or 30? According to 22 Days Nutrition, it takes 21 days to break old habits. On the 22nd day, you may be on your way to making new ones. In a press release for the new service, Bey said: "[Borges] came up with a great program to get people motivated to make better nutritional choices. All you have to do is try. If I can do it, anyone can." Curiosity: piqued! Would you try read more

Did you see the new Weight Watchers' commercial during the Super Bowl last night? The voice you hear is none other than Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul—and there's most definitely a reason behind that casting choice. Aaron draws parallels between eating sugary, fatty, unhealthy foods...and drugs. In case you missed it: The idea, according to Weight Watchers, is to help start a dialogue about the kinds of food and eating challenges—you know, increased portion sizes, dining out more often—that almost all of us are bound to bump up against in our daily lives. What do you think of the commercial—and the message? read more

So we've talked about how excessive sitting— whether it be watching a lot of TV or too much computer work—could translate into possible depression, a higher risk of cardiovascular situations (heart pain...or even heart attack), a larger waist circumference, and even heightened chance of death. None of that is good stuff, obviously...and it is kind of a bummer to be reading about this kind of thing while we're probably sitting at our desks. First—new research is suggesting that the benefits of working out may not reverse the health disadvantages of too much daily sitting (read on to learn more)—but hold tight, because we have ways to combat sitting-on-your-butt-itis. A new report in the Annals of Internal Medicine examined 47 studies that looked into how much time people sat throughout the day, versus how much time they exercised. The report also examined the rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and death among the participants. The researchers found that "heavy sitters" had a 90 percent risk of developing diabetes, an 18 percent increase of dying from cancer or heart disease, and a 24 percent increased risk of dying from another disease or illness. And here's the thing: These rates held true among read more

Every year, U.S. News & World Report compiles a list of the best diets, as judged by a panel of experts. Today it released its newest research...and there may be some surprises this time. Here are the top best overall diets (they've also delineated what are the easiest diets, best weight-loss diets, and much more—all worth checking out!): 1: DASH Diet DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension—which means it was developed to fight high blood pressure diet. But the panel of judges for U.S. News & World Report gave it high marks for delivering nutritional completeness, aiding in preventing and/or controlling diabetes, and giving heart health a boost. 2: TLC Diet Its full name is, technically, Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, which was created by the National Institutes of Health. The diet is meant to promote cardiovascular health by cutting back on saturated fat (such as fat-filled meats, fried foods, and dairy that's primarily whole-fat). 3: (tie)Mayo Clinic Diet This eating plan focuses on establishing lifelong healthy eating habits—you don't count calories, but make sure to increase your intake of fruits and veggies. 3 (tie): Mediterranean Diet Recent studies have shown that this diet's emphasis on fruits and vegetables, olive read more

I loved this little weight-loss trick from Today this morning, when Joy Bauer gave Savannah Guthrie some New Year's nutrition advice. It turns out that making this one teeny little change to your sandwich or burger just a few times a year—even without any other diet changes—can result in seven pounds of weight loss. Look! Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy As Joy explains it, that extra slice of bread can tack on an additional 80 to 100 calories per serving. Leaving it off can add up quickly—and it's still as delish as before. Sandwich lovers, what do you think? Would you try yours open-faced? read more

Last month, I told you lovelies that I was two weeks into the Whole30 (in a nutshell, you nix sugar, dairy, grains, beans, soy products, processed foods, and alcohol for a month, while also not stepping on the scale or watching TV/doing computer work while eating). And now I'm two weeks out—and, upon reflection (insert fancy raised pinky here), I think I've learned more than I expected I might. (Full disclosure: This pic is from Panera's "power" menu, because it is much, much prettier than any of the photos I took of my own recipes.) I am, in general, a pretty healthful eater: I forgo sugar, skip fast food, limit caffeine and alcohol, I eat tons of fruits and veggies, and I haven't had a soda since 2012. But! I'm also human. Embarking on something that knocks out several of my staples—namely, beans (I'm an unapologetic hummus and chickpea fan) and tortillas (I mean, I live in New Mexico, for heaven's sake)—for 30 days still felt like a huge feat...but I'm always up for a health challenge. And here's what I learned! 1: I look forward to cooking. Don't get me wrong; I've always loved dabbling with recipes. But this read more

On New Year's Eve, Demi Lovato took to Instagram with something to say about body image in 2015: I was beautiful then, and I'm beautiful now. 2014 I decided to focus on bettering myself by making changes in my life with health, balance, endurance and consistency. You don't have to wait till the beginning of a new year to make resolutions for yourself. It's all about loving and taking care of the only body you will ever have... Cherish it, love it, embrace it.. Because when you do.. It begins to show. Goodbye 2014.. Who's excited for what we can accomplish in 2015?!! Let's do this!!!! A photo posted by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:48pm PST ...which made me think: Instead of focusing solely on all the things we want to change about our bodies in 2015, what are the things we want to remember to love? I'll start! I love that I inherited my mom's strong legs; that I can run and walk and jump and function, physically, in ways that I'm sure I take for granted more often than I ever should; that my body produced two amazing and hilarious mini people. What do read more

If you're one of the people who resolve to up their fitness and exercise game for the year on each and every January 1, you may also have experienced watching that resolution fall by the wayside in February. (If so, you're not alone—some research suggests that only 8 percent of resolution-makers achieve their goals.) So to give you a little more resolve for what you've resolved, experts from pain relief company Topical BioMedics and fitness trainers Laurie Towers and Elite-Ilit Ziegelman have these stick-to tips. You'll stay motivated if you pick a workout you actually like. Hating an exercise with a passion but resolving to do it daily in the new year will probably just make you hate it even more. So take a little tour of activities that are available—spin class, Zumba, yoga, Pilates, boxing, swimming, at-home free weights, walks around the neighborhood, online or DVD workouts—and zero in on what your most-loved exercise might be. Get your body used to exercising. Start slowly, be consistent, and work your way up to a more ambitious routine. Be realistic—and keep going. Remember that seeing (and feeling!) results takes time. But you will notice your body getting stronger—make sure to give read more

As we count down to 2015 (fun fact! Once the ball drops on 1/1/2015, we will be equidistant from both 2000 and 2030—how nuts is that?!), health experts are also assessing the state of the nation's...diet. This year's "What's Trending in Nutrition" Survey from Pollock Communications and Today's Dietitian surveyed more than 500 dietitians to see what they think will be the biggest trends in the coming year—and here are a few of them. 1: Seeds and nuts: 54 percent of the surveyed dietitians said that these will be the go-to superfoods in 2015 (even though they acknowledged that kale, Greek yogurt, avocado, and coconut products—like coconut oil—will continue to see an upswing). 2: Anything but beef: The nutrition experts suggested that fish and seafood, eggs, legumes and nuts, poultry, and dairy are the healthiest, most high-quality proteins (followed by soy). The nutrition pros think red meat is less healthy—most likely due to the saturated fat, cholesterol, and high environmental demands required to produce beef. 3: Going gluten-free: The vast majority of dietitians think gluten- or wheat-free diets will continue to be a thing in 2015. "Regardless of the lack of evidence to support eating a wheat- or gluten-free diet read more

When you lose pounds—where do those pounds go? The answer...is kinda weird-sounding. According to new research from the University of New South Wales, when weight is lost, most of it is breathed out. That's right: Researchers ran calculations and discovered that when 22 pounds of fat break down during oxidation, 18.5 of those pounds leave the body in the form of breathed-out carbon dioxide (the rest is water, which leaves the body via tears, sweat, urine, and other bodily fluids). That means, they say, that fat is not actually converted into energy or heat during weight loss. The results suggest that our lungs are the main excretory organ for weight loss, say the researchers—but! That doesn't mean you can just sit there and breathe and breathe and breathe away the pounds—the calculations show that, in order to oxidize those before-mentioned 22 pounds of fat purely through breathing, you'd have to first take in 64 pounds of oxygen. That's, um, a lot. The bottom line: Healthy eating and exercise are still the ultimate combination in weight loss. But now at least you know where those lost pounds are off to! Interesting, right? What are your thoughts? read more

Holiday treats—they're a "do"! Still, overindulging can make you feel tired, sluggish, and wishing for the sweatpants. "We do have to be mindful of the type of treats we decide to splurge on because sugar plays a huge part in weight gain," says John Rowley, certified trainer, International Sports Science Association director of wellness, and author. "It can cause your insulin levels to rise and, in turn, cause your body to store fat." In other words, says Rowley: If you consume 100 calories worth of candy cane, your body will break it down much differently than 100 calories of protein. Speaking of calories! Here are how some of your favorite seasonal treats break down and how to walk them off...but still in fun, holiday ways. Gingerbread man: 200 calories Walk it off in...60 minutes, says Rowley. But no big deal, because when was the last time you got to have a nice, long chat-and-stroll with your mom? Eggnog (one cup): 343 calories Walk it off in...104 minutes. The ideal opportunity get a little privacy while you give your friend a call and dish on each other's holidays so far! Candy cane: 66 calories Walk it off in...22 minutes, says Rowley. read more

Making the healthiest eating decisions and sticking to your usual exercise routines during this time of the year are hard to do, no doubt—but they just might be easier with a coach you can contact any time you want, in the way that you want—phone or email. Weight Watchers has just launched exactly that: a personal coaching service that you can use whenever needed to talk with certified coaches who have lost weight with WW—you know, people who have been there, done that, so they can help your form action plans, get your current plan back on track, or just stay motivated in general. The service is available to all Weight Watchers members (subscriptions start at $19.95; you can find the kind of subscriptions available in your area here). It's a neat idea—plenty of us could use a little inspiration in the health department every now and again. What do you think? read more

So, here we are, smack at the beginning of December. On the plus side, that means comfy coats, roaring fires, binge-watching Netflix, and snuggling. On the minus—well, there are fewer daylight hours during which we can work out, comfort foods galore, and bulky sweaters that are quite convenient for hiding any additional...bulk. The truth is, even though research shows that we may burn more calories during the colder months, lots of us fall victim to the "winter 10." But it doesn't have to be that way. 1: Don't party hungry. Holiday parties are filled with tasty (and hard-to-resist) treats, so make sure to load up on fruits, veggies, and whole grains beforehand. Salads loaded with fiber-filled ingredients—such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, beans—will keep you feeling full, which helps when you're presented with a cheese platter and the cake table. 2: Keep to your regular exercise schedule (as much as you can). It's cold, it's dark, you're bundled up. But if you keep your usual Pilates class permanently at the top of your to-do list, it's a lot harder to blow it off. 3: De-draft your house. Weird but true: Research from Maastrich University has suggested that eating in warmer temperatures read more

Thanksgiving means a lot of things: family, friends, food, and—oftentimes—long plane trips. But you can actually squeeze in some exercise during those high-altitude jaunts, according to Kelly Lee, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and expert affiliated with Grokker, gave us these effective—yet sneaky!—moves to try out when you're en route to your Thanksgiving bash. She says: “If you’re able to squeeze in some of these subtle moves during air or road travel, go for it! If not, something as simple as getting up frequently will not only help with your circulation and minimize the threat of soreness from an extended period of sitting but will make you feel better both mentally and physically during your long (or short!) trip.” Calf Raises You can make waiting in line for the plane restroom count. Do 20 calf raises by going up on your toes, then lowering down to your heels with control. After 20, take a quick 10-second break and do 20 more until the restroom line has disappeared. It will feel good to get moving, even though this move is subtle and small. Ab Squeezes While sitting completely upright with feet flat on the ground and neck and back long, pull read more